NFL Player News

Brown didn't participate in Friday's practice due to an illness and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

A late-week addition to the injury report, Brown suddenly finds himself at risk of sitting out the regular-season finale after falling ill. Even if Brown is back to 100 percent health ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, he could be in store for a smaller role than usual, if he even sees the field at all. With the Ravens having already secured the AFC's top seed, coach John Harbaugh has acknowledged he would hold out a handful of key players for rest purposes, and the same could end up applying to both Brown and tight end Mark Andrews (ankle), who is also listed as questionable.

Morgan (concussion) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's season finale against the Browns, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Morgan won't be eligible to take the field Week 17 unless he fully clears the league's five-step protocol for brain injuries, and the Bengals have little reason to rush the Nebraska product back to action. Damion Willis stands to slot into the No. 4 receiver role if Morgan is unable to suit up against the Browns on Sunday.

Irwin was promoted to the Bengals' 53-man roster Friday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

The 24-year-old was added to Cincinnati's practice squad in early October and will make his way to the active roster for Week 17. Irwin should serve as a depth wideout with Stanley Morgan recovering from a concussion.

Slayton (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation and should be ready for his normal workload Sunday against the Eagles, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Slayton was limited to two targets and 29 percent of offensive snaps in last week's 41-35 win over Washington, missing a large chunk of the game after he hurt his knee in the first half. He did make sporadic appearances thereafter, and he was able to practice on a limited basis both Wednesday and Thursday. While it's possible the Giants monitor Slayton's workload, it sounds like he'll open the game with his usual spot in three-wide sets alongside Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate. The rookie enjoyed his best game of the season Week 14 at Philadelphia, catching five of eight targets for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Moore (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Saints, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Moore was spotted working out on the side during practice Friday, but the Panthers still determined he wasn't on track to clear the NFL's concussion protocol in advance of Sunday's game. Shaky quarterback play wasn't enough to prevent Moore from enjoying a second-year breakout, with the 2018 first-round pick catching 87 passes for 1,175 yards and four touchdowns on 135 targets in 15 games. Prior to his early exit Week 16, the 22-year-old had ripped off seven games in a row with 75 or more receiving yards. Moore finishes with a 64.4 percent catch rate and 8.7 yards per target, despite playing in an offense that has completed just 61.0 percent of its passes for 6.6 yards per attempt. His ability to vastly outproduce the Carolina passing game as a whole bodes well for Moore's NFL future, though his ceiling for 2019 partially depends on what happens with the team's uncertain quarterback situation.

McLaurin (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Dallas, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

McLaurin hasn't been able to practice since he suffered a concussion in the late stages of a Week 16 overtime loss to the Giants. He'll thus finish his rookie campaign with 58 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns on 93 targets in 14 games, producing a 62.4 percent catch rate and 9.9 yards per target in a Washington offense that's completed 63.3 percent of its passes for 6.8 yards per attempt. McLaurin managed the impressive stat line despite struggling with drops and battling a hamstring injury early in the season. Look for Cam Sims or Darvin Kidsy to join Kelvin Harmon and Steven Sims Jr. in three-wide formations during Sunday's regular-season finale against Dallas.

Hopkins (illness) wasn't at practice Friday, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

The Texans will provide an update on Hopkins with the release of their final regular-season injury report later Friday. Even if Hopkins avoids an injury designation, there's some risk that he might not play or potentially have a reduced role in Week 17. The Chiefs and Chargers kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday, and a win by Kansas City would render the outcome of the Texans' regular-season finale -- which begins at 4:25 p.m. ET -- meaningless, with regards to Houston's playoff seeding.

Beckham (groin/illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The groin issue has troubled Beckham throughout the season, but he likely would have been in line to practice on at least a limited basis Friday had he not fallen ill. He'll now look to recover in time to suit up Sunday, with the Browns and Bengals kicking off at 1 p.m. ET. Though the 6-9 Browns are out of playoff contention, Beckham, who is 46 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards this season, may look to do everything he can to give himself an opportunity to reach the milestone.

Godwin (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Godwin hasn't been able to practice since he suffered the hamstring injury Week 15. He was one of the top breakout stars of the 2019 season, hauling in 86 of 121 targets for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. Godwin heads into Week 17 ranking second among qualified pass catchers in yards per game (95.2) and fourth in yards per target (11.0), with teammate Mike Evans (89.0 YPG, 9.8 YPT) not too far behind. Jameis Winston will have Breshad Perriman and Justin Watson as his top wide receivers for Week 17.

Beckham (groin) didn't practice Friday due to an illness, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Beckham was already battling a groin injury, but the illness is what appears to be keeping him off the field for the Browns' final practice of the season. It sounds like he could still get some work in behind the scenes Friday, but it's uncertain at this stage if the ailment will affect his chances of taking the field Week 17 against the Bengals.